钱穆是现代中国重要的历史学家之一，中国传统政治非专制论是其学术思想中倍受争议的话题。今人以前事作后事，移后置前，以其中晚期的著作讨论早期的意见，往往认为钱穆在青年期即持有中国传统政治非专制说，并反对西学。但钱穆在青年期时，对西学有极浓厚的兴趣，并积极响应新学风，吸收新学术，而且其学术生命在问题意识上继承了清代的学术遗产，集中在诸子学上，并没有涉及有关中国传统政治的考辨与争论，因此并没有反对专制说或者提出非专制说。进入三十年代，钱穆由苏州进入北平，并由讲授国文而执教大学历史。对通史的思索也引导其学术生命由学术史而进入通史研究，对中国传统政治专制说的反思与批判即是在这一时期诞生萌发并成型。在《国史大纲》中，钱穆以政治、社会和学术三者为支架，以结构主义解构专制说。进入四十年代，国难危急，西方价值的衰落，钱穆避居西南，进一步反思西方学术。通过对中西政治的比较，他对中国传统政治性质的思考在同一时期也由结构主义向功能主义转变。他认为民主虽然是中西政治的共同趋向，但民主制度可以不完全一致。中国传统政制构架中已经隐含了民主的精神，国会的缺失和王室的存在并不能成为中国传统政治专制的证据。《中国传统政治》和《中国历代政治得失》代表了钱穆对中国传统政治认知的继续思考和总结。他认为评价历史上的政治制度，应当以历史意见为主，而不应该以时代意见取代历史意见。钱穆的中国传统政治认知，有应然的部分，也有实然的部分。应然与实然，代表的是价值和存在，分别具有思想史意义与学术史意义。

Qian Mu is a one of the most important historians in modern China. His viewpoint on “traditional Chinese political system is not autarchy” is controversial. Scholars nowadays consider that Qian held this viewpoint and opposed to western learning on his early academic period. Actually, in this period, Qian was highly interested in western learning and eager to perceive new knowledge. Also, his researches focused on pre-Qin scholars and did not turn to the discussion on Chinese traditional political system. Therefore, He did not hold the viewpoint on “traditional Chinese political system is not autarchy” in this period. In 1930s, he turned his focus on general history and started to develop his criticism on the thinking of “Chinese traditional political system is autarchy”. He deconstructed this view from political, social and academic aspect in his book Outline of Chinese History. In 1940s, He further reconsidered the western learning due to war in China. His thinking on traditional Chinese political system turned in the functionalism. He considered that democracy is the common aim of Chinese and western politics while the systems can be different. There are elements of democracy in traditional Chinese political system. The missing of parliament and the existence of monarchy cannot proves that traditional Chinese political system is autarchy. Qian viewpoint on traditional Chinese political system can be found in the book Traditional Chinese politics and the Evaluation of the Politics in Chinese History. He considered that the political systems in history should be evaluated by historical viewpoint but not modern viewpoint. There are elements of necessity and reality in Qian’s viewpoint on traditional Chinese political system. Necessity represents values and it is with its meaning in the history of thought. Reality represents the existence and it is with its meaning in academic history.